National Institute of Health

National Institute of Health

Adults with dementia and delirium may soon have a way to combat their delirium, thanks to a five-year, $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Delirium, defined as a state of mental confusion, occurs in more than half of all hospitalized older adults with dementia. If delirium continues, it can interfere with patient rehabilitation and there is a very high risk of permanent institutionalization.